Regulatory approval for vaccinating children aged 6-11 years against COVID-19 is a form of protection for the children amid the pandemic, Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection Minister Bintang Puspayoga has said.

She said the ministry hopes that parents will not hesitate to allow their children to get vaccinated because children are in the vulnerable group and have a high risk of COVID-19 transmission.

“We welcome the approval for children aged 6-11 years to receive (COVID-19) vaccination. Of course, the approval from the BPOM was based on a clinical trial that proved the safety (of the vaccine), so we do not need to hesitate to get children aged 6-11 years to get vaccinated,” the minister said in a press release issued here on Friday.

The minister also reiterated the need for complying with the health protocols since low compliance with protocols could potentially cause a surge in COVID-19 cases.

“Our focus is protecting children and ensuring that their rights are fulfilled, even during the COVID-19 pandemic. The best interests of children are a priority in the midst of this pandemic,” she remarked.

Earlier, COVID-19 transmission among children has shown to be high, with the proportion of confirmed positive cases of COVID-19 in children aged 0-18 years reaching 12.5 percent, she noted.

This means that one in eight COVID-19 patients was a child, with 50 percent of COVID-19 deaths among children reported in toddlers, she said.

The National Agency of Drug and Food Control (BPOM) recently issued a permit approving the Sinovac vaccine for children aged 6 to 11 years based on a safety and immunity assessment.

Meanwhile, vaccinations for children aged 12-17 years have been started to support face-to-face learning in schools.

Source: Antara News